Back and Neck Pain: Heavy Burdens

You duck into your car and rush to work: neck and back pain come along for the ride. You sit at the computer all day: neck and back pain sit right there with you. You drive home from work: neck and back pain distract you all the way.

You crawl into bed for what you hope will be a good night's sleep: there's neck and back pain again.

Why don't neck and back pain seem to go away? According to a study published in the June 1, 2003 issue of Spine, neck and back pain may be your constant companions because of something else that's with you all the time: excess weight. Nearly 6,000 adult patients from three general practices completed a questionnaire that asked about the existence and severity of spinal pain (neck and/or back) in the previous month. Results showed that nearly one in three (29 percent) reported pain, of which approximately half was chronic, 40 percent was disabling, and 20 percent was intense, chronic and disabling. An independent association between neck and/or back pain and high body mass index (BMI) was demonstrated, even when considering other potential influences.

Are back and neck pain weighing you down? Treating spinal pain depends on the cause, which may or may not be those excess pounds you're carrying around. But one thing's for certain: Doctors of chiropractic are the experts when it comes to helping patients get rid of those two annoying companions that can make your life miserable.

Reference:

Webb R, Brammah T, Lunt M, et al. Prevalence and predictors of intense, chronic, and disabling neck and back pain in the UK general population. Spine, June 1, 2003:28(11), pp1195-1202.